Executive secretary of Venezuela's opposition Unified Democratic Panel (MUD) Ramón Guillermo Aveledo said early on Wednesday, one day ahead of the presidential swearing-in ceremony as provided for in the Constitution, that the opposition would resort to different domestic and foreign legal bodies to seek enforcement of the Constitution of Venezuela and the declaration of Hugo Chávez's temporary absence.

"The president is not here and the pertaining constitutional mechanism should be enforced. We will do anything, within the limits of freedom, civility, patriotism, and pacific and democratic struggle. We will do our best as citizens to defend the Constitution," Aveledo said when interviewed by private TV news channel Globovisión.

First, the opposition alliance plans to resort to the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to request annulment of the Congress' resolution approved on Tuesday, which authorizes Hugo Chávez to stay out of the Venezuela for an indefinite period while keeping his presidential powers.

"There is a regulation providing that temporary absences are valid for 180 days. This is a long term, yet they (pro-government deputies) have dismissed this regulation because of their interests and their internal rivalry, right inside the Government. This does not do any good to the country," the MUD's leader stressed.

Aveledo said that the opposition does not want to hold a vote tomorrow or that the president's powers are transferred to dissenters. Instead, the opposition seeks the declaration of Chávez's temporary absence. "Absence is a clear fact and while the president needs some time to recover and come back (to Venezuela), the Congress's speaker should take over."

The MUD's leader added that the opposition would also resort to international organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Common Market of the South (Mercosur).

Twitter: @ocarinaespinoza

Translated by Jhean Cabrera

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